squirrels eating sunflower seedlings

Another non-toxic method you can try is to spray your sunflower seeds with a hot seed spray. These can be found in the gardening section of your local home improvement stores. You'll want to gently spray the heads, which is the part the squirrels love to eat. After a good rain, you'll need reapply the spray.

How do I protect my sunflower seedlings from squirrels?

How to Protect Sunflowers from Birds and Squirrels

Use Protective Covers.
Make Outdoor Spaces Less Appealing.
Set Up a Separate Haven.
Go for Mylar, Skip the Scarecrows.
Beat Them to the Harvest.
Try Containers.
Plant More.

What's eating my sunflower seedlings?

Animal pests that forage on seedlings include chipmunks, squirrels, rabbits, voles, woodchucks and deer. Commercial repellents with a strong odor or taste are often effective deterrents that don't harm the animals.

How do you protect sunflower seedlings?

Protect Your Seeds

Protect newly planted seeds with cloches, wire mesh cages, or anything that will keep birds, squirrels and mice from digging up the seeds or slugs from eating the seedlings. If you do cover your seeds/seedlings, be sure to check on them so they have water, air flow, and light (after germinating).

How do I protect my sunflower seedlings from birds?

Netting is the preferred way to keep birds away from seedlings and is very easy to implement. Use bamboo poles, tall stakes or fence posts to create a framework around your plants. Drape your netting over the stakes and anchor it to the ground using bent wire. Try to drape your netting so it forms a V-shaped tent.

How do you protect squirrels from seeds?

Although squirrels are natural diggers, you can discourage digging and help protect seedlings by covering the soil around your plants with a layer of mulch. Cover your plants. Consider using a physical barrier, such as plastic netting, fencing, or chicken wire, to help keep your plants from harm.

Why are sunflower seeds bad for squirrels?

Sunflower seeds, and other nuts, have lots of phosphorous and little, if any, calcium. Calcium is not just used for strong bones. It is also important for all organic functions, such as blood circulation and respiration. This can leave squirrels weakened or paralyzed and can lead to seizures.

What is eating my seedlings at night?

There are several possibilities for the damage you see, most likely either snails, slugs, earwigs or birds. Soil and plant moisture levels from all the rain we've had right now favor the likelihood of snail, slug or earwig. These pests are night feeders.

What eats pea seedlings?

Pigeons, collared doves and sparrows are very fond of any new shoots. Wire netting tunnels are quite a good way to keep them off until the plants are large enough to climb up the pea sticks or supports.

How do I keep bugs from eating my sunflowers?

Managing So Many Pests

If you're just growing a few sunflowers in the backyard garden, though, you don't have to be so thorough. If you spot insects, you can often pick them off, or when that isn't practical, you can spray them with a solution of dish soap and water or with a garden-friendly insecticidal soap.

When should I plant my sunflower seedlings?

When to Plant Sunflowers

It's best to sow sunflower seeds directly into the garden (or outdoor containers) after the danger of spring frost has passed anytime after soils have warmed to 50°F. In most regions, this will fall between April and mid-July. In the south, this will probably occur in mid-March or early April.

Do sunflower plants like coffee grounds?

They love coffee grounds and will accelerate their growth when you cut away dying flowers.

How often should you water sunflower seedlings?

Although sunflowers require a lot of water to germinate, they only require an inch of water per week during the growing season. Use a watering nozzle to easily water once a week until the top 6 inches of soil is moist.

How do you protect new seedlings?

An easy and inexpensive way to protect your wee plantlings is with a plastic pop-bottle cloche! Any plastic bottle will do. Small ones are good for individual plants that grow straight up, and larger ones will cover multiple seedlings or ones that become bushy. Unscrew and discard the cap.

How do I stop pigeons from eating my seeds?

You can buy pigeon proof feeders, which are surrounded by cages too small to allow access for pigeons, but wide enough to let little birds feed. BUT many people have found that the wire cage on the outside of these just makes it easier for the pigeons to tip them and spill the seed onto the ground.

What do squirrels hate the most?

Scents like white pepper, black pepper, and garlic are naturally unpleasant to a squirrel. The same goes for sweet smells such as peppermint. Try spraying your plants and flowers with water and then sprinkling on pepper or peppermint oil to deter squirrels.

What is the best squirrel repellent?

The most effective are pepper-based taste deterrents that have been proven to work. Squirrels like to dig up and eat bulbs. When planting bulbs, dip them in repellent and then cover them with a thick layer of sharp mulch that squirrels will not want to dig into.

How do I get rid of squirrels in my potted plants?

Mix something into the potting soil that squirrels find distasteful. Natural repellents may include cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper, vinegar, peppermint oil, or garlic (or try a combination of two or more).

Why you shouldn't feed squirrels?

Feeding squirrels may cause them to lose their natural fear of humans, and this isn't good for either side of the equation. ... If squirrels come to expect food and it isn't provided, they may become aggressive in seeking it out. Many people who feed birds report having encountered this problem with the resident squirrels.

What squirrels favorite food?

Most types of squirrels are vegetarians. They are not picky eaters and will feed on practically any food that's readily available, but they tend to prefer vegetables and fruit. Favorites of the squirrel diet include corn, mushrooms, squash and broccoli. They also enjoy apples, oranges, apricots and avocados.

Do squirrels like sunflower seed?

Squirrels love black oil sunflower seeds, so if you don't want them in your yard, avoid blends with sunflower seeds. Squirrels also love nuts in the shell, which are important to them in two ways. ... Foods you shouldn't put out for squirrels are corn and peanuts.